Jeremy Minnick

Posted: Monday, September 07, 2009

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When Jeremy Minnick was in college, he moved into a house with five guys all whose names started with the letter "J," little did he know it would lead to a future business. Minnick named his software design and development company J House Media, after the moniker his friends used to describe their college digs.

It ended up being a perfect metaphor for his philosophy on how to build a great Web site.

"We follow the model of building a house," Minnick said. "We start with the floor plan first, build the foundation, the structure and the walls, and then add the furniture."

Minnick, who majored in finance but designed Web sites on the side, realized in 2004 that he had to make a choice between his day job and programming because of the high demand for his work. He and business partner, Jason Long, founded J House soon after, and now lead a team of 11 employees who specialize in building high- to mid-level custom Web sites.

Although they have a solid client base, Minnick said it wasn't easy starting his own business.

"I chose a job that even though it was a lot harder to run my own business, it made me a lot happier," Minnick said. "We are really passionate about what we do. We are still a small company and don't have a tremendous amount of resources ... but we value very much the opinions and the positive evaluations we get from our clients."

• Inspiration: "My mom - taught me I could do anything and to have faith; My dad - showed me that it just takes some hard work and critical thinking to learn and achieve what you want regardless of what it was; other people with ambition."

• Community involvement: "I participate in Hands on Athens and am an active member of the business community. I get a lot of enjoyment from connecting people whether it's finding someone a job or business connection. As a team, J House does pro bono work for various nonprofits in Athens."

• Favorite books: "Good to Great," by Jim Collins; "21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership," by John Maxwell; and "Don't Make Me Think," by Steven Krug

• Favorite musical group: "I don't have a favorite group because there are so many amazing artists and my mood changes easily. However, my favorite style would probably be either Latin, jazz or bebop jazz."